UN System Observances for International Women's Day 2013

In 1975, during International Women's Year, the United Nations began celebrating 8 March as International Women's Day. Two years later, in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions. For the United Nations, International Women's Day has been observed on 8 March since 1975. The Day is traditionally marked with a message from the Secretary-General.

The official United Nations theme for International Women's Day 2013 is "A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women."

Below is a summary of UN system and inter-governmental observances, news and related links for IWD 2013.

United Nations

Message from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the Occasion of International Women's Day

As we commemorate International Women's Day, we must look back on a year of shocking crimes of violence against women and girls and ask ourselves how to usher in a better future.

One young woman was gang-raped to death. Another committed suicide out of a sense of shame that should have attached to the perpetrators. Young teens were shot at close range for daring to seek an education.

These atrocities, which rightly sparked global outrage, were part of a much larger problem that pervades virtually every society and every realm of life.

Look around at the women you are with. Think of those you cherish in your families and your communities. And understand that there is a statistical likelihood that many of them have suffered violence in their lifetime. Even more have comforted a sister or friend, sharing their grief and anger following an attack. Read more »

Food And Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Joint statement from the leaders of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Development Law Organization (IDLO).

On International Women's Day this year, the global community is focussing on how to eliminate and prevent all forms of violence against women and girls. In spite of the major role played by women in producing food and feeding their families, little attention has been paid to the connection between gender, violence and food security.

Gender discrimination fuels female malnutrition and disempowerment. Very often, discriminatory practices in rural communities generate biases in intra-household food distribution, whereby women and girls usually have access to limited and less nutritious food.

Poor families may marry off under-age daughters during times of famine so there's one less mouth to feed. Refugee women may be forced to trade sex for food. Women spend hours collecting firewood to cook the family meal, leaving themselves vulnerable to rape and other attacks. Widows are persecuted over land ownership but, all too often, national laws favour men over women. Domestic violence has an overall negative impact on agricultural production and family well-being. For many women struggling to feed themselves and their children today, food security would mean personal and legal security. Read more»

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Message from IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano on the Occasion of International Women's Day

By 2030 the nuclear power production could expand by 20% or even 100%. That means we will need many more trained, qualified staff at construction companies, research laboratories and nuclear power plants. IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano believes that by training and recruiting more women, we can provide a sensible solution to meet the challenge. During his speech at the 2013 International Women's Day celebration at the Vienna International Centre, Mr. Amano also spoke about the "very capable" professional women now working in nuclear law, nuclear science, research and regulation, and the important roles they play in inspiring young women and girls to pursue careers in the field. Watch video »

International Fund for Agricultural Development

Joint statement from the leaders of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Development Law Organization (IDLO).

On International Women's Day this year, the global community is focussing on how to eliminate and prevent all forms of violence against women and girls. In spite of the major role played by women in producing food and feeding their families, little attention has been paid to the connection between gender, violence and food security.

Gender discrimination fuels female malnutrition and disempowerment. Very often, discriminatory practices in rural communities generate biases in intra-household food distribution, whereby women and girls usually have access to limited and less nutritious food.

Poor families may marry off under-age daughters during times of famine so there's one less mouth to feed. Refugee women may be forced to trade sex for food. Women spend hours collecting firewood to cook the family meal, leaving themselves vulnerable to rape and other attacks. Widows are persecuted over land ownership but, all too often, national laws favour men over women. Domestic violence has an overall negative impact on agricultural production and family well-being. For many women struggling to feed themselves and their children today, food security would mean personal and legal security. Read more»

International Labour Organization (ILO)

Message from ILO Director-General Guy Ryder on the Occasion of International Women's Day

Workplace violence assumes many forms and women are often particularly vulnerable, especially in the informal economy. Such violence is wrong and is a violation of the most basic human rights. Workplace violence including sexual harassment also represents a significant barrier to women's access and equitable treatment and opportunities in the labour market.

The ILO's decent work mandate compels it to act against violence at work and to foster workplace environments founded on gender equality and respect. Gender-based violence is clearly at odds with the meaning of decent work: full and productive employment for women and men in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity.

Available data point to the extent of the problem at work. For example, between 40 and 50 per cent of women in European Union countries experience unwanted sexual advances, physical contact or other forms of sexual harassment at their workplace. In Asia and the Pacific, studies indicate that 30 to 40 per cent of women workers report some form of verbal, physical or sexual harassment. Violence against women comes with a high cost to individuals, families, societies and economies. A study in Australia showed an estimated economic cost of some AUS$13.6 billion in 2008-09 while another study published in 2008 estimated that in England and Wales the cost of domestic violence alone was £20 billion per year, of which lost economic output amounted to £2.3 billion. Read more»

Geneva - In today's increasingly mobile and interconnected world, migration has become an integral part of the lives of over 100 million women. At different stages of their lives, a growing proportion of these women leave their familiar surroundings to study, work, marry, reunite with their families or flee a dangerous situation.

"For many women and girls, migration is a way to fulfil their potential, to develop and to exercise their human rights. But being both a migrant and female also exposes them to risk – the risk of being subjected to violence," says Ambassador William Lacy Swing, Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Women migrants predominantly work in the informal sector – often in unregulated professions such as domestic work, agriculture or services – which makes them particularly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. The majority of victims of human trafficking are also women and girls.

In addition, women tend to be over-represented among the 27.5 million internally displaced people (IDPs) globally, and research indicates that in situations of crisis and forced displacement, the break-down of family and social structures exposes them to acute risks of physical and sexual violence. Read more: Arabic [pdf] | English | French | Spanish

International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

Message from ITU Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun I. Touré on the Occasion of International Women's Day

Violence against women is a social scourge that knows no cultural, economic or geographical boundaries. It is a tragic fact that some 70% of women globally will be the victims of some kind of violence during their lifetimes. Violence takes many forms – from physical harm to verbal and psychological abuse, to punitive economic actions designed to distress and deprive. In today's enlightened modern world, we should and must adopt a zero tolerance policy. As ever, technology is part of the mix – for good and for bad. Simple technologies like mobile phones, social networks and digital cameras can help protect women by providing vital communications links, ways of sharing, supporting and informing other women and their loved ones, and the means of documenting the actions of those who engage in threatening or violent behavior. The fear of being photographed, recorded or filmed is sometimes enough to serve as a disincentive to violent language or actions. When it is not, an electronic record of such behaviour can help women seek justice and redress.

One of the new provisions in the recently renegotiated International Telecommunication Regulations is a Resolution to create a single, globally harmonized number for access to emergency services. World leaders could consider leveraging this provision to create a globally agreed, easy to remember helpline number for female victims of violence, so that women everywhere could call the same simple phone number for assistance. This could also greatly benefit the millions of female victims of human trafficking. Read more»

Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

Message from UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé on the Occasion of International Women's Day

On this day when we honour women, let me speak directly to the men. As husbands and partners, brothers and sons, we must be part of the solution to build a world where women and men are equal.

An equal world is one where all women and men have access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. It is one where women and men can equally protect themselves from HIV. And it is a world where women and girls are free to reach their full potential—without fear of violence from men.

Ending violence against women is not only an urgent human rights need—it is critical to ending AIDS. Up to 7 out of 10 women experience violence in their lifetime. Violence or the fear of violence can prevent women from negotiating safer sex. At the same time women living with HIV are often more vulnerable to violence, which can stop women from getting the HIV care and treatment they need. Read more»

Related Video Message:

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

Violence against women impedes development

NEW YORK, United States of America, 8 March 2013 – The United Nations is focusing on violence against women on this year's International Women's Day.

A problem all of us need to address

Violence against women is a major obstacle to development, and, unless its root causes are addressed, many of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will not be met. Women's rights are tied to every MDG.

Violence is an issue that blights the futures of millions of women and girls, every day, all over the world.

"Gender-based violence is a problem that all of us need to address if we want our societies to look the way we would envision for our children," said UNICEF Principal Adviser on Gender Rights and Civic Engagement Anju Malhotra.
Up to 7 in 10 women report having been physically or sexually abused at some point in their lifetime. Up to 50 per cent of sexual assaults are committed against girls under the age of 16. Read more»

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Message from UNDP Administrator Helen Clark on the Occasion of International Women's Day

On this International Women's Day, we imagine a world free of violence against women and girls, a world in which women and girls do not fear being attacked in their homes or communities, and one where would-be perpetrators know they will be held accountable for their crimes.

The theme for International Women's Day this year is "A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women."

Indeed, it is now time for increased action to end this abuse. In 1995, at the Fourth World Conference for Women, governments identified violence against women as a violation of human rights and an "obstacle to the achievement of the objectives of equality, development and peace."

But the persistent prevalence of violence against women – experienced by up to seven in ten women at some point in their lifetime – shows that promises to end violence against women have not been met.

Today is a good day to recognize and speak out against the scourge of violence against women. But we must do more than that.

Preventing and eliminating violence against women requires leadership and political will backed by action and resources. Read more »

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)

Message from Noeleen Heyzer, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP, on the Occasion of International Women's Day

International Women's Day has a long and inspirational history – of bold leadership, of mobilization and solidarity, of courage and sacrifice, and of organizing for equality, dignity, and change.

International Women's Day was established at a time of great transition, following a rally in 1911 in Europe for the right of women to vote, and sparked off when more than 140 working women died in a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City. Locked in by their manager, to ensure that they would work, they lost their lives trying to escape the flames.

Our annual commemoration of International Women's Day should always recognize the power of this history — a lineage of leadership in the women's movement, whose struggles for equality, dignity, justice and peace, have broken barriers, built opportunities and continue today, helping to shape a better world for all. Read more »

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA)

On the occasion of International Women's Day: Appeal condemning violence
against womenVoices from the Arab world decry violence against women

This appeal is launched by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
(ESCWA), on the occasion of International Women's Day. It was circulated in member countries undergoing political transition (Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Yemen) as well as in the ESCWA host country, Lebanon. Arab figures from various intellectual backgrounds have signed it, cognizant of the challenges faced by women in the process of democratic transition in the Arab region.

Every year on this date, the world observes International Women's Day. This year, Women's Day is particularly significant for the Arab world as Arab countries and societies are undergoing historic changes laying the foundation for a better future; a future that guarantees human rights, human dignity, individual freedoms and equal citizenship for all.
We hope that these changes will lead Arab countries away from oppression and dictatorship, toward freed
om, democracy and the rule of law.

Women have been at the forefront of the masses claiming freedom and dignity side by side with men sharing their firm resolve to realize that dream and put an end to longstanding suffering and pain of which they bore the greatest burden. They have long suffered from physical and sexual violence, discrimination within their families, denial of their right to health and education and exclusion from economic and political decision-making.

Today, amidst promising developments in the region, women remain subject to new forms of violence that threaten their safety, affect their physical integrity, endanger their lives and deny them the right to realize their aspirations and fulfil their potential. Violence against women is not a new phenomenon, but it has taken on a new and alarming dimension and has become a means to obstruct change and hinder democratic transition.
Read more: Arabic | English

Message from Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova
on the Occasion of International Women's Day

On International Women's Day, we celebrate the strides that have been made to advance women's rights and the individual heroes, girls and women, who are making history in societies across the world.

This is also a day to cast an objective eye on where we stand and reflect on the obstacles that remain. Violence against women is one of the most deadly and widespread violations of women's rights across the world. Violence takes many shapes — physical, sexual, psychological and economic — but the result remains the same devastating violation of fundamental rights and human dignity. There are concerted efforts at all levels to stop this violence, but progress is haltingly slow. Read more »

United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-HABITAT

Message from Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director UN-Habitat Dr. Joan Clos on the Occasion of International Women's Day

Today, just over half the world's people live in urban areas and it is predicted that the number of urban dwellers will rise to 70 per cent by 2050. Cities and towns are sources of development if they are well planned and governed but when they are not they can become spaces of insecurity and conflict. The urban poor are more exposed to crime and violence than the rich, and since women make up the
majority of the urban poor they are more exposed to risk.

I am appalled that today women and girls continue to experience various forms of gender-based violence in both private and public life. On city streets, public spaces and public transportation, women and girls are still subjected to violence and abuse. Such daily occurrences limit the freedoms of women as equal citizens to enjoy their cities, and to exercise their rights to education, work, recreation, mobility, collective organization and participation in social, economic and political life. Today we say enough is enough. We must act decisively, together with all our partners to end reprehensible acts of violence and discrimination against women and girls.

When I look at the city, I see that violence against women remains a largely neglected issue, with few laws or policies in place to address it. Beyond policing, there is a great need to address violence in public spaces, taking a gendered approach and to understand the role urban design, planning and management play in minimizing risks as well as changing perceptions of insecurity. We need to support the development of national urban policies which should provide the institutional and legal framework for addressing women and girls' safety in the existing borders of cities and towns, but also in the pro-active planning of city extensions.
Read more [pdf]»

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)

Message from UNISDR Chief Margareta Wahlström on the Occasion of International Women's Day

GENEVA, 8 March 2012 — The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, UNISDR, today
marked International Women's Day with an announcement that women will play a central role in developing the next global framework on disaster risk reduction.

Margareta Wahlström, UNISDR Chief said: "So far this century, we can conservatively state that over 500,000 women have died in disasters and over one billion have lost their homes or been otherwise affected by the growing tide of disasters and extreme weather events worldwide. The next global framework on disaster risk reduction to be agreed by 2015 must address the underlying causes."

A mid-term review of the existing international framework on disaster risk reduction, the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), found that the vast majority of countries reporting on its implementation do not factor in gender issues during disaster planning and often ignore the contributions of women.

Ms. Wahlström said: "We are now at a crucial stage in the consultations on the next HFA or HFA2. It is clear that we need more specific commitments from governments, local governments, the private sector and other stakeholders that they will tap into the knowledge and skills of women who are always key to any successful response efforts when disaster strikes. Unfortunately, they are all too often ignored during the planning and preparedness phases. This must change."
Read more »

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

Message from UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov on the Occasion of International Women's Day

International Women's Day, 8 March 2013, is an important day to reflect on the many accomplishments of women, but we should also remember the millions of women across the globe who continue to face violence, abuse and even murder.

Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread violations of human rights. It includes physical, sexual, psychological and economic abuse cutting across every boundary of age, race, culture, wealth and geography.

The most violent and dramatic form of violence against women is their murder, which is often motivated by gender. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that, in 2010, 84,000 females were the victims of homicide globally. This figure represents 18 per cent of the 468,000 homicides occurring in that year. In many of these cases, the female victims are killed by intimate partners or family members. Read more »

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Message from UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin on the Occasion of International Women's Day

On the occasion of International Women's Day, I want to take this opportunity to renew the commitment of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, to strengthening and expanding our efforts to do everything we can to bring an end to gender-based violence. Gender-based violence remains a major health and human rights concern and no human development can be achieved as long as women and girls continue to suffer from violence or live in fear of it.

This year's International Women's Day coincides with the ongoing meeting at the United Nations, at New York, of the Commission on the Status of Women, which this year focusses on the priority theme of Addressing Violence against Women.

Globally, millions of women and girls are subjected to all forms of violence, including rape, intimate partner violence, female genital mutilations/cuttings, child marriages and sexual violence in armed conflict and during humanitarian crisis. Read more »

United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR)

GENEVA, March 8 (UNHCR) – UNHCR chief António Guterres on Friday welcomed advances made by the refugee agency and its staff in pursuit of gender equality and the empowerment of women but stressed that more needed to be done.

"Let us not forget that most people of our concern live far from a world in which women, girls, men and boys are treated equally and without discrimination," Guterres said in his annual message on International Women's Day. "Our efforts must continue in order to make progress in this regard, one step at a time," he added.

Noting the theme of this year's commemoration, "A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women," the High Commissioner recalled that he had pledged at a ministerial meeting in Geneva in 2011 to strengthen UNHCR's commitment to address sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

"All of us together have been working hard to realize this promise. Country-specific SGBV strategies are currently being developed and implemented in 15 countries. Operations around the world have been carrying out new or expanded projects on SGBV prevention and response, sanitary materials and female genital mutilation," he said.

He added that UNHCR was also developing internal capacity, improving data collection and analysis and strengthening its monitoring and evaluation of SGBV programmes. "We are enhancing the way UNHCR and its partners prevent and respond to SGBV in ongoing emergencies, by establishing coordination mechanisms and reinforcing capacity in the field. With the widespread use of sexual violence as a weapon of war in conflicts all around the globe, these efforts are absolutely crucial to the realization of our protection mandate." Read more »

UN Women

Message from Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director UN Women Michelle Bachelet on the Occasion of International Women's Day

Today on International Women's Day I join every individual who believes that change is possible. We are guided by a founding principle of the United Nations: the equal rights of men and women.

All around the world, our voices are rising, and silence and indifference are declining. Change is possible. And change is happening.

Change is happening when every country, for the first time in history, has women on their Olympic teams, as they did this past summer in London. Read more »

World Food Programme (WFP)

Joint statement from the leaders of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Development Law Organization (IDLO).

On International Women's Day this year, the global community is focussing on how to eliminate and prevent all forms of violence against women and girls. In spite of the major role played by women in producing food and feeding their families, little attention has been paid to the connection between gender, violence and food security.

Gender discrimination fuels female malnutrition and disempowerment. Very often, discriminatory practices in rural communities generate biases in intra-household food distribution, whereby women and girls usually have access to limited and less nutritious food.

Poor families may marry off under-age daughters during times of famine so there's one less mouth to feed. Refugee women may be forced to trade sex for food. Women spend hours collecting firewood to cook the family meal, leaving themselves vulnerable to rape and other attacks. Widows are persecuted over land ownership but, all too often, national laws favour men over women. Domestic violence has an overall negative impact on agricultural production and family well-being. For many women struggling to feed themselves and their children today, food security would mean personal and legal security. Read more»